A live holstein dairy cow is brought to FCS to show elementary students the background of dairy and agriculture, Oct. 25. K-6th graders sit together outside infront of the Mobile Dairy Classroom from the Dairy Council of California to learn about cows and agriculture.

A four year old cow with the name Cali is shown in front of students to teach them why agriculture, dairy and other produce are valuable to California and the rest of the world.

Sixth grade teacher, James Garcia hopes that his students will gain a better understanding of agriculture and it’s impact on the Central Valley.

“All of elementary is out here learning about a cow,” Garcia said. “In the classroom, we talk about ancient civilizations and how agriculture affected them. This is a little bit more hands-on. I hope my students learn about what agriculture is about and what goes on in the valley.”

Students examine the cow and learn about the cows digestive system, diet, bone structure, and milk process. They also see the process of milking a cow.

Sixth grader, Carlos Hannon expresses interest in farm livestock and how they are raised. 

“We’re looking at cows,” Hannon said. “We are not learning about agriculture in class. I like farm animals, especially pigs. I want to learn about how big they can get. I kind of want to become a rancher.”

This learning experience helps students familiarize themselves with where food comes from and an industry heavely impacted in the Central Valley.

For this year’s statistics, California leads the most milk cows in the country with 1,739,000 cows and a total of 1,554 dairies.

For more Feather photos, visit media, photos 2018-19.